diff --git a/include/json/assertions.h b/include/json/assertions.h
index 5ef7e7b..21d8907 100644
--- a/include/json/assertions.h
+++ b/include/json/assertions.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #define CPPTL_JSON_ASSERTIONS_H_INCLUDED
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sstream>
 
 #if !defined(JSON_IS_AMALGAMATION)
 #include "config.h"
@@ -16,26 +17,26 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #define JSON_ASSERT(condition)                                                 \
   assert(condition); // @todo <= change this into an exception throw
-#define JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message) throw std::runtime_error(message);
+#define JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message) do{std::ostringstream oss; oss << message; throw std::runtime_error(oss.str());}while(0)
+//#define JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message) throw std::runtime_error(message)
 #else // JSON_USE_EXCEPTION
 #define JSON_ASSERT(condition) assert(condition);
 
 // The call to assert() will show the failure message in debug builds. In
-// release bugs we write to invalid memory in order to crash hard, so that a
-// debugger or crash reporter gets the chance to take over. We still call exit()
-// afterward in order to tell the compiler that this macro doesn't return.
+// release bugs we abort, for a core-dump or debugger.
 #define JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message)                                             \
   {                                                                            \
-    assert(false&& message);                                                   \
-    strcpy(reinterpret_cast<char*>(666), message);                             \
-    exit(123);                                                                 \
+    std::ostringstream oss; oss << message;                                    \
+    assert(false && oss.str().c_str());                                        \
+    abort();                                                                   \
   }
 
+
 #endif
 
 #define JSON_ASSERT_MESSAGE(condition, message)                                \
   if (!(condition)) {                                                          \
-    JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message)                                                 \
+    JSON_FAIL_MESSAGE(message);                                                \
   }
 
 #endif // CPPTL_JSON_ASSERTIONS_H_INCLUDED